gerwin

I was considering painting some alternate tails for the WOI F-16A, but I just found that the game already contains a few nice ones. Especially the Flying Dragons look slick. Here are some pics.

I started fiddling with the thirdwire games again, and now I tried to add a playable mercenary unit to a WOE campaign. Now I don't own SFP1, so I just tried to find some ini settings on the internet and also I peeked in the existing ini files. I got it working 90% pretty easily. I did notice the game lacked an invoice background so I made one myself. Now I can choose a Merc. unit, buy weapons and aircraft, and earn money with missions. The only problem is the aircraft list in the loadout screen: the entries listed in the listbox do not trigger the proper aircraft. Example: I select an A-4 in the list, but everything else shows I selected an F-100. Any ideas on how to fix this, Maybe I am missing some mercenery related ini-file? I attached my current WOE-mercenery mod to this post. woe_mercs.zip

As far as I can see that is not the case with most of the stock aircraft, as the file names are the code only (like F-15A) Whilst the aircraft display name usually has additional characters (like F-15A Eagle). But thanks for the tip. I will try it out.

Just made a copy of the original F-15A folder and named it F-15C, changed the ini filenames to F-15C and edited F-15C.ini to point to the renamed files. That's all I did and then one gets a flyable aircraft which again messes op the aircraft list as described earlier.

Actually I did... Stock Wgerman and British F-4 phantoms behave fine, Non-Stock USAF F-16A and Wgerman F-104 do not. So the nationname does not seem to cause it.

Maybe.. So I removed all non-stock aircraft from the WOE installation, and then the aircraft selection list behaves properly :) . Unfortunately as soon as I add even one custom aircraft to the installation (A-7 or F-104 or F-16a or MiG-21) the list begins to mix up the selection. Like i select an F-100 but get the F-104, or the other way around.

I managed to add a static C-130 Hercules to an airfield in a single mission. There seem to be two ways: 1- Place it as an aircraft object (ini hack in downloads section). 2- Place it as a ground object (model by capun, with destroyed lod, in downloads section) The first way adds the aircraft, it looks good, but once destroyed there is no wreckage left. Also IIRC the thing was not hurt by gunfire, and it would probably be a A-A missile target? The second way I liked more. Though again this ground object remains untouched by any amount of gunfire. Also I am kinda disappointed in the destroyed model: From far it looks like it isn't a wreckage but the same intact airplane. This is because the LOD file uses the same texture. So I made a burned alternate texture and edited the lod binary. file to point to the new bitmap, yet it doesn't seem to accept this and the destroyed plane looks all white. Though I am sure I could pull this trick in other situations... Any ideas?

sure, except that is exactly what I wrote, so where did I write something not true? beats me.

The linked article showed the reviewer having to reinstall after using the weapons pack, I didn't know there was a workaround yet as you showed. anyway it sucks to read your quoted remark, can you be more subtile..

That weapons pack will mess up your WOI installation: http://www.simhq.com/_air11/air_345d.html use this instead (haven't tried it myself though): Mirage Factory Weapons Pack for Wings Over Israel

File Name: Gull Grey A-6 Intruder Skin for Third-Wire model V1.1 File Submitter: gerwin File Submitted: 02 May 2008 File Category: A-6/EA-6 Intruder Skins Gull Grey A-6 Intruder Skin for Third-Wire model V1.1 Update by Gerwin 6-4-2008..2-5-2008 DESCRIPTION: I noticed the Navy Aircraft skins in WOV have been skinned quite consistend in color and style ...except for the A-6A that is. This skin seems to be a more blue-ish grey and the weathering is rather thick and black. I tried to overhaul the original existing skin to better fit between the other aircraft: The Base colors are now exactly the same as the F-8 and A-7. The weathering was toned down and various details have been adjusted. Also I replaced the style of the nose cone and the fuselage air-brakes. On itself the white and yellow nose cones and the white/grey airbrakes represent real-life appearance, yet I do not know in which squadrons and in what combination they actually appeared. This skin does not include custom decals. UPDATE: In version 1.1 I weathered the skin in a way that is consistent with the other navy aircraft. The insides of the jet intakes have been recolored. The grey/white transitions have been slightly relocated. The white bottom is lighter now. The red color under the flaps does not shine trough so much now. INSTALLATION: Copy the included folder with contents to the folder that contains the A-6 files, for example: WOV\Objects\Aircraft\A-6A When in the game select the skin in the loadout screen. If you prefer the white nose cone you have to rename: A-6_Texture5.bmp to A-6_Texture5_yellownose.bmp A-6_Texture5_whitenose.bmp to A-6_Texture5.bmp THANKS TO: Third Wire for the Strike Fighters Based Games JSF_Aggie for the recolored nose cone parts Click here to download this file

I might have a suspicion of the cause: When waiting for my bank-to-paypal credit transfer to buy WOI. I stumled opun a 90MB game rip of the game on the web (hard to avoid if you google "wings over israel"). Curious me tried it, and it is messed up like described above. I know what the actual problem is, but hey lets keep it a secret.

Just checked out the first two WOI skin templates at thirdwire.com and I noticed the "lines and rivets" layers are not seperate, as with earlier releases. As far as I can see there is not much added value compared to the bitmaps in the game itself. I know there is the 3d studio max unfolded layer and a legend but I hardly use these anyways... Any Ideas?

The photoshop path tool, I just tried it and it indeed works well for lines as you can later decide the thickness. thanks for the tip. For me I am afraid it doesn't really sound appealing. I like my skins to be in the same style and resolution as the default ones, and therefore I re-use as much of it as possible.

Well I cannot currently post at the thirdwire forums... guess I wont bother the good man. Just complain here a bit ;)

Hey I know that skin, I posted it ;) (Mostly ThirdWires Art though.) anyway: nice picture! small tip: give the aircraft some space before the nose, or center it more.

I am also quite new to the SF series, but it really interests me for the past months. It is good that there are now several titles available you can merge into a single install that gives a variety approaching Jane's ATF/USNF/FA games. Whilst in the core flight and combat dynamics it far surpasses them. Here's my wishlist nonetheless, duplicating some points mentioned earlier, and maybe even mentioning something I just failed to notice. - More detailed briefings. - More detailed campaign status information. - Visually Destroyed grounded aircraft in WOI (now they just dissappear). - Airfield Transfer Mission type, and maybe some other types. - Carrier Deck objects, Some Carrier support ships. - Native Helicopter support. - An easier/more visual mission editor. - Cat archiver, and a better extractor, or change to zip format like Quake 3+. - Keyboard shortcuts in Menu. - Object/Aircraft reference option in the main menu, with 3D previews. - More optimized game logic for SAM's and WarShips tracking and firing etc. (slowdowns). - The single mission generator to use the Secondary Skin folders for AI flights. - The single mission generator to only use nations defined in the terrain's nations.ini for AI flights. (no UK aircraft over vietnam etc.) - A TW quality MiG-25. and some more emphasis on Adversary aircraft in general. PS. awacs sound fine, but I am afraid some nations/times will be left with nothing to communicate with?

I did succesfully place the static C-130 Hercules from capun on an airfield, when I tried it some weeks ago. I noticed the C-130 sinking halfway into the ground when placed to far from the center of the airfield (but still on a paved area). Maybe you are having that same issue?

Attached. VIETNAMSEA_DATA.zip

From a post by Dueces at the SimHQ forums I copied these addresses, the files where still up some days ago when I tried them. I personally find the hills looking a bit to brown to go for a vietnam jungle, so I use the default tiles again... The tree mod I am very happy with, as I think it gives the right balance between looks and FPS IMHO. But you need to adjust the vietnamsea_data.ini file that is included because it is outdated. I will attach an updated one later.

File Name: Gull Grey A-6 Intruder Skin for Third-Wire model File Submitter: gerwin File Submitted: 6 Apr 2008 File Category: A-6/EA-6 Gull Grey A-6 Intruder Skin for Third-Wire model Update by Gerwin 6-4-2008 DESCRIPTION: I noticed the Navy Aircraft skins in WOV have been skinned quite consistend in color and style ...except for the A-6A that is. This skin seems to be a more blue-ish grey and the weathering is rather thick and black. I tried to overhaul the original existing skin to better fit between the other aircraft: The Base colors are now exactly the same as the F-8 and A-7. The weathering was toned down and various details have been adjusted. Also I replaced the style of the nose cone and the fuselage air-brakes. On itself the white and yellow nose cones and the white/grey airbrakes represent real-life appearance, yet I do not know in which squadrons and in what combination they actually appeared. This skin does not include custom decals. INSTALLATION: Copy the included folder with contents to the folder that contains the A-6 files, for example: WOV\Objects\Aircraft\A-6A When in the game select the skin in the loadout screen. If you prefer the yellow nose cone you have to rename: A-6_Texture5.bmp to A-6_Texture5_whitenose.bmp A-6_Texture5_yellownose.bmp to A-6_Texture5.bmp THANKS TO: Third Wire for the Strike Fighters Based Games JSF_Aggie for the recolored nose cone parts Click here to download this file

glad to hear there is a need for the skin! The WoV A-6A model itself is quite nice as far as I can tell. Only the canopy glass should bulge out a little more. I don't see much external differences between this model and an A-6E version (without TRAM). So it could serve neatly for that version as well (giving it some chaff an flare).

File Name: Generic Hill Scheme F-4E+F-4G Phantom II Skin for TW+MF model File Submitter: gerwin File Submitted: 06 April 2008 File Category: F-4 Phantom II Skins Generic Hill Scheme F-4E+F-4G Phantom II Skin for TW+MF model Update by Gerwin 6-4-2008 DESCRIPTION: Wanting a good hill scheme Phantom II, I ended up using the Mirage Factory F-4G 'Late' Skin. Over time I made the following modifications: -Scaled the skin down to the default resolution 512x512. -Replaced certain skin parts with the default texture, such as the exhaust. -Overlayed a subtile weathering layer. raised blue saturation. -Fixed the numbering decals for the tail. -Erased the insignia from the skins and replaced them with decals. -Overlayed the default panel lines on the fuselage, tail and nose. -Adjusted various details. -Made an F-4E suitable variant (different slimers, nose gun etc). Regarding the F-4E tail codes: they are somewhat a copy of the F-4G codes. I am a bit uncertain on the historical accuracy of this. INSTALLATION: For the F-4G skin you need to have the Mirage Factory F-4G model installed. you can find it at http://www.column5.us Copy the included folder with contents to the folder that contains the F-4 files, for example: WOE\Objects\Aircraft\F-4E When in the game select the skin in the loadout screen. THANKS TO: Third Wire for the Strike Fighters Based Games. Mirage Factory for the F-4G modification, and base F-4G late skin (credited to Sundowner). Click here to download this file

Forgot one entry in the Credits, I took weathering and slimers from: Luftwaffe F-4F/ICE skin repaint by Bosco Hsuean, 11 Feb 2004. (http://www.column5.us/)